Gurgi irrigation project in Kailali remains defunct decades after dam collapse

Kailali: The Gurgi Irrigation Project, constructed 56 years ago in Kukurbhukka, Kailari Rural Municipality-2, has remained abandoned for nearly two decades following the collapse of its concrete dam.

The dam, built in the fiscal year 2062/63, was destroyed by floods in 2064 BS, halting the project. Despite annual budget allocations, construction has not resumed, and funds continue to be frozen due to the uncertainty of water sources, according to the Water Resources and Irrigation Division Office under the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure of Sudurpaschim Province.

The provincial government allocated Rs 2 million in fiscal year 2075/76 and Rs 60 million in 2079/80, but the funds were not utilized. Similarly, Rs 120 million in 2080/81 and Rs 50 million in 2081/82 were also frozen. Engineer Tekraj Binadi stated that the Detailed Project Report (DPR) must be prepared again as the water source is not confirmed. Although the office submitted a Rs 440 million cost estimate, later approved at Rs 300 million by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the contract process has not moved forward.

Locals say the failure to rebuild the dam has deprived thousands of farmers of irrigation. Dayaram Chaudhary, a local farmer, recalled that the original dam was built in 2026 BS by landlords Ramdin Mahato, Chhimananda, and Deshraj Mahato through their tenants. Although a concrete structure was added decades later, the 2064 BS flood destroyed it, leaving the project stalled.

Once benefiting nearly 6,000 farmers across Kailari’s Wards 1, 2, 5, and 7, the project provided irrigation to more than 1,400 hectares of farmland. Today, farmers are forced to rely on rainfall and boring for cultivation. A survey by the Irrigation Development Division estimates the project could irrigate 1,800 hectares, benefiting villages such as Bisanpur, Lawalpur, Manau, Harinagar, Dammara, Sadakpur, Pabera, Gobraila, Jagdahawa, Manikapur, Baispur, Ratanpur, Siupur, Narayanpur, Basanta, Chhatakpur, Bhuiyapatha, and Rampur.

Recently, the Parliamentary Subcommittee on Finance, Development, and Natural Resources of the Sudurpaschim Provincial Assembly conducted an on-site inspection and held a public hearing regarding the delays. However, locals boycotted the program midway, expressing frustration over the government’s prolonged inaction.